It’s easy to take the Seattle International Film Festival for granted. For Seattleites, it’s simply part of the fabric of the city. Every Spring, just when the weather is starting to get really nice, we pile into darkened theaters for a month and watch some of the best contemporary and archival films in the world. We take it as a given that we have the largest film festival on earth in our own backyard. And why shouldn’t we? Who else would appreciate it as much as us?
This year, the program is bigger than ever, with big name guests, glamorous parties, numerous workshops, and, of course, hundreds of great films. The catalog looking a little intimidating? Let our 2010 SIFF Guide help you.
Consider
Bass Ackwards
Local filmmaker Linas Phillips continues the great road-trip indie film tradition, with gorgeous cinematography by Sean Porter. Phillips travels in an ultra-mini VW van from Seattle to New York City, encountering a deep slice of humanity along the way.
ShortsFest
Short films are often seen as the training ground for young filmmakers, those honing their craft for future, longer work. But can’t a short film be great on its own? Are pop songs merely practice for writing symphonies? SIFF understands that some of the best films ever made are shorts, and are often criminally under-seen. They dedicated the weekend of May 21-23 to ShortsFest, with programs for all tastes. Give one a try.*
Air Doll
In the hands of another filmmaker, Air Doll, a film about an inflatable sex doll come to life, seems like a cheap gag. But director Hirokazu Kore-eda has proven a light, compassionate touch with his stories, from the gentle (Still Walking) to the wrenching (Nobody Knows) to the surreal (After Life).
The Last Campaign of Booth Gardner -
Most successful politicians retire, publish a book or two, and get involved in a popular charity. Former Washington Governor Booth Gardner (1985-1993) was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and threw himself into support for assisted suicide legislation. This short documentary on his efforts received an Academy Award nomination.
On the Waterfront
Marlon Brando is easy to caricature. In fact, many younger viewers know impressions of Brando more than the man himself. When these viewers find themselves watching a young Brando on film, the shock can be palpable. Brando revolutionized acting and displayed more raw talent than perhaps anyone in American film. See what the fuss was (and always will be) all about.
Don’t Miss
I Am Love
Tilda Swinton already had a claim on the title of actress with the greatest range (nailing wildly different roles in Narnia, Michael Clayton, and Burn After Reading). But in the new Italian saga, I Am Love, she plays the matriarch of a powerful Italian business family, playing her role entirely in Italian and Russian. Your move, Meryl.
Northwest Connections
Seattle might not be L.A. or New York, but its filmmaking profile has grown rapidly in the last decade, with a Seattle features holding an almost annual slot at Sundance. Take a look at the very rich array of cinematic talent the Northwest has to offer.
Winter’s Bone
Seattle native Anne Rossellini (granddaughter of former Governer Albert Rossellini--no relation to legendary director Roberto) wrote and produced this moody drama set in the Missouri Ozarks. Winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize.
Senso
In the U.S., Luchino Visconti could be known as the forgotten Italian. While his fellow countrymen in the 40s, 50s, and 60s became international rock stars of cinema, winning Oscars and marrying Hollywood starlets, Visconti quietly perfected his craft, pushing his sumptuous dramas further towards high opera. Visconti’s gift is to take the grand sweep of history and make it human. Enjoy this very rare opportunity to see one of his greatest films.
Drums Along the Mohawk
1939 is generally considered the greatest year in Hollywood history. Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington are a few of the ’39 gems. John Ford himself made not one but three masterpieces that year: Stagecoach, Young Mr. Lincoln, and (in his first color film) Drums Along the Mohawk. A Western set in the 1770s, when “the West” was only upstate New York, this beautiful film features the pairing of Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert.
Skip
Opening Gala
Unless you badly want to walk down a red carpet, you can give the Opening Gala a miss. The opening film (this year: The Extra Man) is almost always a high-profile movie that’s guaranteed to get distribution later in the year. SIFF is about exploring cinema you’d never see otherwise.
Tribute to Edward Norton
Every year SIFF lures a couple of big names to the festival and shows a retrospective of their work. As exciting as that is, there’s not a lot of need for most people to watch Fight Club for the seventh time. Doff your cap to Edward if you see him in line for coffee, but save your powder for other films.
The River
Jean Renoir’s run of films in the late 1930s is one of the best in history. In the 1940s he fled to the United States and his career became a scattershot affair. The River, made on location in India, is most notable for inspiring Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray to pick up a camera. Otherwise, it pains me to say it, the film is an uninspired mess. For die-hard Renoir fans only.
But Don't Take Our Word For It
These are, of course, just a small sampling of the huge wealth of films available. The most important thing is to take some chances, go see a film you'd never see otherwise, or a film you know absolutely nothing about. It's a big beautiful world of movies out there. Take a dive into the deep end.
*Full disclosure: one of my own films is playing in the ShortsFest weekend.